Pokemon Go has another great summer

Active usage booms as game looks set to be a perennial good weather hit

Pokemon Go had a great summer, Niantic CEO John Hanke revealed in a new blog post. The title saw an increase in active usage by 35 per cent since May, he revealed. It’s looking like the game has garnered greater longevity by its somewhat seasonal nature, with every summer becoming a big one for the game as players reconnect with the title as they get out-and-about more.

Speaking of which, this summer over 400,000 players attended three events in Dortmund, Germany, Chicago, US and Yokosuka, Japan.

Pokemon Go had a huge summer back in 2016 but the game has had some technical teething troubles, especially around the public events held last year. The game has been adding long-requested social features oif late though, and stated that 113m ‘friend connections’ had been made between players to date.

“While the headlines are filled with examples of technology being used to divide us, our experiences this summer deepen our conviction that technology can be harnessed to enhance our lives in a positive way and bring us all closer together and strengthen our connection with the communities where we live and play,” Hanke said.

Pokemon Go’s connection to real world travel seems to have made an ongoing pleasure, with players returning to the game when they visit new places, which looks to prevent the usual grind of mobile games that players tend to play until moving (permanently) onto the next big thing.

Speaking of the next big thing, there’s still no release date for Niantic’s own Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, though we’re expecting a soft release early next year, in order to make the most of the game next summer.